Time for some more nostalgia, this time from Stockholm, Sweden. I always find it amazing how quickly things can change, usually it’s for the better – but anyone who reads this blog knows that’s not true at all. Depicted are a bunch of street scenes from the capital of Sweden, taken between 1945 and 1978. Even though some of them were shot in the middle of the winter I still find them warmer and more pleasant then their modern counterpart. A sign that times gone by really were that much better? What do you think? (Image source)

Have you always wanted to jet around the world in a Boeing 747 jumbo jet but don’t want to waste hours at check-in, security and to top of it off, lose all your bags? Now you don’t have to! Entrepreneur Oscar Diös solved the problem by taking a old jumbo jet, stripping it out and placing it on a strip of land next to the entrance of Arlanda airport in Stockholm, Sweden. Turning the former airplane into a chic and hip hostel that not only will automatically serve as a landmark but also as a time capsule for anyone who is interested in aviation history. Welcome aboard the Jumbo Stay.

– I was getting ready to expand my hostel business in 2006 when I heard about an old wreck of an aircraft for sale at Arlanda. Since I had for a long time wanted to establish my business at Arlanda I didn’t hesitate for a second when this opportunity struck, Oscar Diös explains.

Read the full post >

This book looks really swell! There are probably no one left in the world who hasn’t heard about IKEA with its affordable build-it-your-self-furniture concept. Ingvar Kamprad, the man behind IKEA was only seventeen when started his soon to be blooming enterprise in 1943. Ten years later he opened his first IKEA store in Sweden. Today there are over 200 stores worldwide and as much as I love IKEA I also think it’s too ubiquitous and consumer driven. People throw away their furniture to buy new every two years because it’s so inexpensive, not stopping for two minutes reflecting on the design and functionality.

The book is titled “IKEA Design och Identitet” and can be bought from Adlibris if you live in Sweden. Which is your favorite IKEA piece?

IKEA’s catalogs are like a photo book of the Swedish home. Here contemporary living is reflected from the 1970s brown corduroy couches and painted pine kitchen tables to todays modern design of the PS-collection of top international class. It’s retro, nostalgia, present and future vision, all at once. But what lies behind such a strong concept that allowed them furnish almost every Swedish home for decades?

Short funky Swedish documentary about the development of the state-of-the-art Royal Swedish Air force jet fighter “Draken“. Built and developed by Swedish car maker Saab in the early 1950s, this video takes us on a brief journey on how the plane was developed and tested before its maiden flight in 1955. Also pay attention to the thick and rather silly Swedish accents that makes this video even more kitschy. Good times indeed! (Via)

Gröna Lund in Stockholm is one of a handful amusement parks in Sweden. It might not be the biggest one, but it is certainly the oldest. Built in 1883, on the seashore overlooking the masses of water that divides Stockholm into something that sometimes is referred to as the Swedish version of Venice. Over exaggerated perhaps, but there is some truth in the claim. I my self have visited the amusement park a couple of times when I was younger, but strangely never when I lived in Stockholm. Isn’t it funny how you miss out on certain things when you have them so close by?

The park has changed little over the years, seeing it doesn’t have any land to expand on. The rides and various buildings have obviously been updated and changed, but the 19th Century look and feeling still overlooks the park. Gröna Lund does not only offer fun rides, but also restaurants and stages for performing. Musical celebrities such as Louis Armstrong, Jimi Hendrix, Paul McCartney, Paul Anka and ABBA have all graced the park over the years. Here are a bunch of historical photographs that depicts the overall look and feel of Gröna Lund in the 1950s and 1960s. Which type of amusement ride is your favorite? (Via)

I lived in Stockholm for two years but I totally missed out on this cafe! Cafe Valand was opened in 1954 by Magdalena and her husband Stellan Åström whom also designed it. The cafe is located in the cute and lively area Vasastaden in Stockholm where it has sat frozen in time with its stylish wooden walls, signs, machines and tables for over five decades and is still owned and operated by Magdalena and Stellan. I highly suggest you give the place a personal visit on your next trip to Stockholm and enjoy this time piece which hopefully will stand for another 50 years. (Via)

Read the full post >